40. Versatile

The Top Ten Words to Leave Off a CV

Whilst the words above can be great additions to a CV, our experts also have their bugbears about certain other words that candidates use.
Here is a list of our top ten words to avoid using on your résumé.

1. Seasoned

Using this will make you sound like you are a steak! Also, it is so dated. There are much better words to use!

2. Authoritative

Recruiters want a collaborator not a dictator, especially in the customer service field. So, replace a phrase such as “I was in an authoritative position…” with “I was in a position of leadership…”.

3. Think outside the box

Give examples of how you were made to think creatively and the benefits that such innovation brought to the company. To do this, it is important to avoid vague phrases such as “I think outside the box.”

4. Detail-orientated

There is a chance, no matter how excellent you believe your grammar to be, that you will make a mistake on your CV. Whilst many recruiters may overlook one minor error, pairing the mistake with the phrase “detail-orientated” could create problems.

5. Track record

If your CV is written correctly the recruiter will be able to see your track record, so don’t waste your limited space with needless phrases like this.

6. Hard-worker

It is much more convincing to show the recruiter that you are a hard-worker than to tell them. Recruiters will draw their own conclusions from the evidence that you present, so don’t try to confuse them by using vague phrases… it won’t work.

7. Results-driven

Are results your only driver? Don’t limit yourself by using such language. Demonstrate how you are driven by purpose, personal development and colleagues/teammates, as well as by achievement.

8. Go-to man

Not only is this too informal for a CV, it takes focus away from how your skills align with those in the job description. Don’t distract yourself by trying to do everyone else’s jobs – they they will be more experienced in these than you.

9. Passionate

This is so over-used. If you were not passionate about an aspect of the role, it is assumed that you would not be applying for the position. So, set yourself apart from the average candidate by trying something different, like noting how fulfilling the passion makes you feel.

10. Team-player

It is important to note that you enjoy a collaborative atmosphere, but the phrase “team-player” is contrived. Alternatively, refer to a success story of when you worked alongside someone else to bring great benefits to the workplace.

What Else Should You Be Wary Of?

The advice above can help to shape a CV, but doing any of the following can seriously damage your chances of acquiring the customer service job that you crave.

Writing in Third Person

CVs should never be written in third person. Use first person and choose the present or past tense to showcase the most important and relevant information to your employment goals.

So, for example, do not say “James Bell is…”, but instead state “I am…”.

Removing Personal Information

Things to include: your address, postcode, mobile number and email address! So many people are not including this information, making it very difficult for agencies and organisations to know where candidates are looking for work and also to register the CVs on their systems.

It also makes it impossible to find candidates again when searching in specific locations.

Including a Headshot/Photograph

This is just a waste of space, especially as you should already be struggling to cut your CV down into two pages.

Also, don’t save your CV as an Infographic. These may look good, but they can’t be used by agencies and often won’t upload to company career sites – send your CV as a PDF or Word document and keep the formatting simple!

Expanding Margins and Cutting White Space

No one wants to read a CV that is formatted with a tiny font and no white space! White space allows the eye to rest between reading and absorbing the content, and it acts as a cue to important information the employer should read with care.

At the same time, a CV with too much white space will look like you have no relevant experience or skills to offer the employer. Find a happy medium – keep the CV readable and clean, while filling the space.

Including Spelling, Grammar and Punctuation Mistakes

In this day and age there should be NO excuses, but it still happens, and more often than you would expect. These kinds of mistakes can get even the most qualified candidate’s CV thrown into the “no” pile.

Remember, the CV is an excellent way to demonstrate to potential employers or recruiters what type of employee you are, your attitude to work and, most importantly, your attention to detail!

After you have reviewed your CV carefully, have a friend – or two – review it again for you!

Heavily Detailing Secondary Experiences

It is very easy to keep adding a new job to your existing CV, but does your previous role still hold any relevance? Or, looking back, should your previous role actually be enhanced to support more of your present role?

I am responsible for the leadership, coaching and development of 100 FTE. In the past year we have seen an uplift of 5% on service level performance against the previous 5 years.

As your career progresses, your older jobs may not be as relevant as they once were. Your CV is your opportunity to showcase your career and you need to highlight what is most important, taking space from less important detail that you may now be able to remove.

Listing Your Duties from a Previous Job

Everyone needs to see and understand what you do, but what is it that sets you apart from the crowd?

In addition to listing some, if not all, of your duties and responsibilities, try and include some achievements, tangibles, or context around the role. This could involve something like the following:

You may write: I am responsible for 100 + FTE.

You could write: I am responsible for the leadership, coaching and development of 100 FTE. In the past year we have seen an uplift of 5% on service level performance against the previous 5 years.

This is a wonderful an important material to increase the knowledge in these kind of topics.

I apprecite your special help.
Thanks
MM

Myriam
6 Sep at 2:12 pm

Thank you for posting this wonderful tool. I have included many of these words in my resumes and applications, and i think that they put me over the other applicants with the same qualifications.
Well done,
KC

KC
12 Nov at 11:35 pm

Amazing I’m using this for my interview. Aamazing

Henna
11 Jun at 5:06 pm

what a load of rubbish. why cant you just be yourself why do we all have to conform to the same surely its all about what you have to say soon we be like a communist state…….

Anonymous
26 Jun at 4:31 am

Brilliant help. Thank you. I knew that my daughter was good at and what her personal traits are but I just couldn’t think of the right words. Well done!

kimfoulstone
14 Sep at 6:53 pm

i am always trustworthy

roberthilton
16 Sep at 5:54 pm

This is very good

Thank you

Anonymous
18 Sep at 2:59 pm

You should also do negative words so that we can understand what not to use in our CV

Anonymous
18 Sep at 3:00 pm

Used correctly and appropriately, the above words can work wonders.

However, there is a risk that they are over-used or (worse) used as ‘filler’, where the CV ends up being a mish-mash of buzz-words.

Use these key ‘postivifiers’ succinctly rather than sporadically thrown in, and you will see far more companies return to you offering an interview.

Sean McIver
19 Sep at 2:15 pm

You are a life saver!

JD
5 Apr at 10:53 pm

awarded is a good word to use

ang
17 Oct at 9:55 am

Yeahhhh, conform to not being conformist.
Cv are hard as employers usually only look at the cv for about 4/6 seconds.
Getting a job now is more about who you know, rather than what you know.. Etc.. If your face fits and are incapable of the job then you are fine.
Keeping at it people 🙂
Something always comes along.

bob
14 Mar at 2:24 pm

This is amazing, I used this via email and it worked wonders. Thank you.

kei quintana
16 Mar at 9:36 am

DO NOT use any of these words.

DO NOT say ‘I am creative/energetic/hardworking/dependable’. What have you done that shows you are creative, energetic hardworking/dependable?, use your achievements to highlight your skills and let the employer judge for themselves!

These so called ‘buzz-words’ are found on every cv, use creative ways of writing to give the same impression…

BE CLEVER

anon
4 Jul at 1:54 am

Having read all the praise and criticism I can say that you’re all right and also wrong. In fact its both…

Yes, use these words to ensure you have said what needs to be said however, that alone will not win you an interview. To say ‘don’t use these words’ is also pretty stupid as you’ll end up with the CV that doesn’t say ‘honest’ etc so, at least bring yourself in line with everyone else at that stage!

To win an interview you need to write basic information SUPPORTED with substantial evidence of competence. For example, a sales person stating only their title, dates and role responsibilities is nearly a total waste of time. Instead, support this with achievements: Target of X, won Y. Won X client, grew Y account by £20k, increased GP by 47%, etc

Think about the key skills required to do the job well and focus on providing evidence that you can do them. e.g. Communication, Negotiation, Closing, etc – then add an example/result of having done it. Simple.

If you’re in a job where success is harder to quantify than a sales role think about how your manager measures your performance. If he/she targets you on cost savings, lead times, quality, complaints, etc then that dictates your achievements. Remember that if you’re going for a job in the same sector with similar managers, speak their language to impress them.

Also, think about the changes you have introduced that have had a positive impact on your employer’s business. Each one is an achievement, even if its not work related! (e.g. started social events, charity runs, etc)

In short, its WHAT YOU DID, not just a regurgitated job description and dates.